PICTURE QUALITY This model had excellent high-definition picture quality. It did an excellent job displaying the finest detail. Color accuracy was excellent, so colors looked very natural and lifelike. Very good contrast--the difference between the darkest blacks and brightest whites--gave images convincing depth and dimension. The brightness level was good, making it a suitable choice for most rooms. Black levels are excellent, delivering very deep blacks that make images jump off the screen with help from Samsung's very effective "Smart LED," a local diming feature designed to give greater depth and contrast to dark scenes. Any unwanted illumination side effects often introduced by this feature were minimal when viewing the TV from front and center, so we left the feature on, but when viewing at off angles haloing effects around bright objects were more obvious. With the feature off, black levels were still acceptable (see "viewing angle" comments for other limitations on black level quality.) Images had an excellent level of detail without added enhancement. In scenes with subtly shaded light-to-dark areas, such as a sky during sunset, the TV did a very good job producing a smooth transition without distinct, coarse bands. There was a noticeably uneven brightness effect that created cloudy areas that were distracting in dark scenes, an issue we routinely see with many brands of LCD TVs. But with the TV's local dimming turned on this problem was effectively masked. The deinterlacing and film mode operations were excellent on HD content; there was little or no trace of jaggies on the edges of objects for video and film-based 1080i video content, such as from cable. All in all, this model delivers the best all around image quality you can get from an LCD (LED).
VIEWING ANGLE This Samsung has a moderate viewing angle overall, decent, but not quite as good as the better-performing LCD sets we've tested. The optimal seating position for best picture quality is directly in front of the TV. If your family is seated in chairs off to the side of the TV, they'll see decent but compromised image quality.
When we moved off to the sides the horizontal viewing angle was good; the picture showed a moderate loss of color so flesh tones looked washed out, along with a slight color shift. Black levels brightened significantly, making dark scenes look hazy. When viewing the image from above or below eye level to the screen, the vertical viewing angle was very good. The picture showed minimal change in color, contrast, and black level.
ULTRA HD PERFORMANCE This Samsung UHD TV delivers full 4K picture detail, along with excellent HD-to-UHD upconversion. All native 4K content we played on this model, including movies and test videos from our Sony FMPX10 player, were presented in full detail with excellent image fidelity when played back via the TV's HDMI input. This model also supports 4K video streaming from both Netflix and other sites that use HEVC encoding, as well as YouTube, which uses Google's VP9 encoding. Streaming images were clean and finely detailed, with no visible oversharpening or other gratuitous processing. Using a flash drive inserted into the TV's USB port, we were able to play back both 4K (8MP) photos and videos that were encoded in the HEVC, VP9, and MP4 formats. All images displayed full 4K detail and great clarity, taking full advantage of UHD's extra resolution. With regular HD content, the TV's HD-to-UHD up-conversion processing was generally excellent with the edges along diagonals of image content looking very smooth with minimal jaggies. All four of the TV's HDMI inputs comply with the latest HDMI 2.0/HDCP 2.2 specifications, a requirement for compatibility with emerging 4K movie playback devices, such as the 4K UHD Blu-ray players expected this year.
MOTION BLUR This Samsung TV has excellent motion performance, with no visible blurring on our motion tests, thanks to Samsung's Auto Motion Plus. This feature is designed to reduce motion blur, a shortcoming of most LCD TVs. With the feature turned off, motion performance was only fair, with significant blurring on our motion tests.
SCREEN REFLECTIVITY Though not as mirror-like as on some LCDs, this screen surface is glossy and therefore susceptible to reflections from a nearby lamp or window. The screen is dark so it does a good job reducing glare from ambient light and maintains contrast even in a bright room.
3D PERFORMANCE The overall 3D effect was very good, on par with the better 3D displays. 3D images showed effective depth, with minimal levels of ghosting (left eye/right eye crosstalk) on our 3D test patterns and on a wide variety of 3D program content. We didn't see any increase in ghosting when viewing at off angles. In 3D mode, the display presented full 1080p resolution to each eye, showing all the detail from the best 3D content from Blu-ray disc.
SOUND QUALITY This TV has excellent sound quality, among the best we've tested. Whether you're watching a movie blockbuster, a concert performance, or TV show, it is able to deliver a top quality listening experience. With movies, dialog was clear and natural sounding, though a bit muffled, but background soundtrack music and other sounds remained well balanced. Bass extension was very deep, providing almost subwoofer-like fullness to the overall sound, though a tad boomy, and treble was nicely detailed, with the overall sound on the brighter side, and a bit closed in. The speakers can play to fairly loud volume levels without obvious distortion, a plus if you'll be using this set in a larger room or noisy environment. You can try to get better quality from a high performing soundbar or separate home theater system but with this TV that won't be necessary.
EASE OF USE Overall, we found the set easy to use. Setting up the TV for the first time was straightforward, as was access to features and controls you'll probably adjust only once. Ease of access to features you typically use more often was very good. Also, the remote is very good, and the on-screen menu is easy to navigate.
All buttons on the remote are backlit so they're easy to see in the dark. The remote's major function buttons were sufficiently large and have high-contrast labeling, making them easier to see and navigate. We found the set responds slowly to commands from the remote.
STAND ASSEMBLY Mounting the TV to the included support stand is easy, though the stand requires the assembly of two parts before mounting.
INTERNET FEATURES This TV provides advanced Internet capability. Features include access to a library of applications via "Apps and a full Web browser. It also has a built-in Web cam for access to video conferencing applications such as Skype.
CONNECTIONS This TV includes four HDMI inputs, one shared connection between the component and composite inputs (which means you can only use one type or the other at a time), optical digital audio out, three USB ports, an Ethernet port, and Wi-Fi. Wireless connectivity includes: DLNA network file sharing. Analog connections are made via a special breakout cable adapter (Included) that attaches to the TV as a single plug. That means you plug your component, composite, or stereo cables into a dangling "pigtail" rather than the back of the TV itself. This is actually a more convenient way to make the connections on slim-profile models, but if you lose that adapter you'll have no way to connect your cables directly to the TV. The cable connections on the rear panel are recessed with side or bottom-facing ports, so wires don't protrude beyond the display's depth.
INCLUDED IN THE BOX The TV comes with: a printed user manual, an electronic manual in the TV's menu, a quick start guide, a remote with batteries, breakout cables (One component, composite, stereo audio, 3.5 mm audio (one connect)), one pairs of 3D glasses, and One connect . ABOUT FIRMWARE VERSION: Our test results and picture settings are valid for the version of firmware indicated. If your TV's firmware differs from the one shown you either have an older or a newer version of firmware. Manufacturers may periodically upgrade the TV's firmware to enhance operation, fix bugs, or add features. Firmware upgrades may be downloadable directly to your TV via a wired or wireless network (if internet capable), USB port, or memory card, depending on your TV's capability. You can check your TV's firmware version, or upgrade to the latest firmware by pressing the menu button on your remote and navigating to the appropriate submenu, typically under settings. Consult the user manual or manufacturer's website if further guidance is needed.
